Of Gods, Dragons, and Sovngarde
by reikat
Summary: After passing away, Eriah finds herself back in Sovngarde and is taken by Akatosh to another realm so she can deal with the ghost of an old enemy.


_Author's Note: As I was writing this, I was hit by a sense of deja vu like I've read something similar before so if this resembles any other story, I do apologize. It was never my intent to plagiarize another's work._

Eriah Quintence wandered around Sovngarde, having left her mortal life behind. She wasn't in any hurry to reach Shor's Hall. Indeed, she was taking in the land she had seen only once prior to her earthly death, when she came here chasing after Alduin. That first time, Sovngarde had been covered in a fog of his making. She had reached Shor's Hall, battled Tsun for the right to enter, and met the Nordic heroes who had faced off against the god of destruction during the Dragon War. Hakon and the others joined Eriah in her quest to rid Nirn of the black dragon once and for all. Working together and combining their Clear Sky Shouts, they flushed Alduin out and he fought them in earnest. Eriah, as per her destiny as the Last Dragonborn, was the one delivered the final blow. However, Alduin's earthly shell dissolved and his soul was sent high into the heavens, unable to be absorbed. No trace of his existence was left, save their memories of him. She never knew why but figured Paarthurnax had been onto something when she spoke to him about it. Alduin was more than just a dragon. He was the Firstborn of Akatosh and he had a specific task as the World-Eater to tear each iteration of the world down so it could be made anew. However, Alduin lost sight of that task and decided to rule the world instead. His final defeat at Eriah's hand wasn't the end of him. He would be back again and this time, he would likely do what he was created to do.

Eriah's mind went to her soul. She still carried numerous dragon souls within her and she wondered if her afterlife was to be spent carrying them as she had in life. Would she be able to keep her oath to the First Dragonborn? Miraak made her swear in the soul-plane that if they were allowed to face each other in Sovngarde, she'd fight him with all she was. In Apocrypha, her battle was hard-won. She had fought halfheartedly, according to him anyway, because the knowledge he was Dragonborn got in the way. In a sense, Miraak was right. After learning he was also a child of Akatosh, Eriah had struggled with the idea that in order to save Solstheim, she had to defeat him. However, their battle was interrupted by the Daedric Prince of Knowledge. Hermaeus Mora denied Eriah her right to put an end to Miraak by stabbing him in the back. Eriah unwillingly absorbed his soul and that was the end of it, until he started haunting her. It pretty much boiled down to this: if they were allowed to fight without Daedric interference, would Eriah even want to? Miraak was more than an enemy. He was her rival, a man she grew to respect throughout her living years and contemplation on what their battle had meant to her. That didn't mean she glossed over or ignored his past as a Dragon Priest nor his crimes against the Skaal. She just balanced it out with the knowledge that he was what she could've been if she had walked his path. If Mara hadn't balanced the warrior's heart granted to her by Talos with compassion, Eriah could easily have walked in the footsteps of the Frist.

"Dovahkiin." came a call. Eriah came out of her musings to see a rip in time and space open up in the sky. Coming through was a golden dragon and she stared in awe. The dragon touched down nearby and Eriah went down on one knee, her fist over her heart and her head bowed. "My Lord Akatosh, god of Time and creator of the dragons." she said in reverence. "Eriah Quintence, Last-born of my blood and slayer of Alduin. Welcome to Sovngarde. You should be honored. It is a rare time when I set foot here at the behest of one's heart." Akatosh said, speaking through his avatar. "I ask your forgiveness. It's just that...I didn't want to enter Shor's Hall with the regrets I still have, regrets I carried with me after my life on Nirn came to end." Eriah said, bending her head down even lower. "There is nothing to forgive, Eriah. I know that Mara gave you a heart of compassion and thus you were always haunted by past doings. Even now I sense the souls of my children within you, including the one who turned his back on his destiny. Your regret is strongest when it comes to his fate." the dragon god replied. The Dragonborn raised her eyes to meet his and her sadness was evident. "Is it wrong for me to feel this way, Lord Akatosh? He was the enemy of the world and had to be put down. But I'm left feeling that I could've done something, anything, to redeem his soul." she said.

The golden dragon merely hummed as he came closer. "If you came to respect Miraak in spite of his wrongdoings, that is your choice. The only destiny I gave to those of my blood was for them to decide what they would use their power for. Good or ill, it matters not to me. Miraak discovered he was Dovahkiin when a dragon was felled on Solstheim long ago while a priest in their order. He used his new-found powers to rebel against my children and carved his own path in their blood. I admit to hoping he would use the gifts I gave him to stop Alduin's mad rule of Tamriel but he chose not to. Free will was granted to all living things and I'm not in the business of bending mortals to my will. I concern myself only with safeguarding Time." Akatosh explained. He set his nose against Eriah's hair and exhaled loudly. "You, my child, were the one destined to stop Alduin. I handed down the prophecy the Akaviri would carve into Alduin's Wall and set into motion all the events that led to your awakening. The Dragon War, the activation of Numidium and the Dragon Break, the Oblivion Crisis, Keizaal's Civil War...all of which came to pass and led to you learning of your destiny. Alduin himself was the one who caused his own downfall and Miraak helped you to fulfill your destiny indirectly." he explained.

Eriah got to her feet as the dragon avatar pulled back a little. "Am I to carry these souls within me into the afterlife then, Lord Akatosh?" she asked. "You have done well in your service to me, child. If your soul is weary of the countless others you have absorbed in your life time, I can release them from you. Rest assured they will not return to Nirn so long as Alduin remains barred from Mundus." he replied. "And Miraak? What is to become of him?" the Last asked. "I know of the oath you swore to him in the soul-plane. I will allow you to face off if you so desire but what will become of him afterwards remains to be seen." he explained. He raised his head and Shouted. Eriah found herself being pulled from Sovngarde and into a realm of stars. A far distant sun illuminated the area. Her feet came to rest on a large platform, not unlike the tower in Apocrypha. Akatosh was in flight around the tower before coming into land on a perch above the platform. Eriah heard a growl behind her and she look over her shoulder. Shock coursed through her as she found herself face to face with the World-Eater. Unlike Akatosh, who was shining like a golden beacon, Alduin was as black as ever. "Ah, the Dovahkiin appears before me again." he said, his red eyes pinning her where she stood and reminding her of their first meeting in Helgen. "Why are you here? I killed you." Eriah said. The black dragon laughed derisively. "You merely killed my physical body, wretch, but do not forget that you were unable to absorb my soul. When I was felled in Sovngarde, I was brought here to this realm to wait out the passage of Time until I am loosed upon Nirn once again. When that day comes, no one will be able to stop me." he said.

Akatosh got her attention. "He is still destined to end the world, Dovahkiin. I'm merely keeping him here as punishment for defying his own destiny." he said. Alduin Shouted at him in rage but the Shout fizzled out before it even reached him. "Make no mistake that I will destroy the world that chose to rebel against me. Next time, they will not have a Dovahkiin to save them and when the world is rebuilt, I will take my rightful place as ruler-god." he snarled. Eriah looked between the two dragons. "Your grievances aside, Alduin, I brought the Last here for a specific purpose." Akatosh said. "You want me to free the souls of my brethren from within her own. I only do this because I know she carries the soul of _that one_ as well." he said to the golden dragon. His red eyes came back to meet Eriah's and her fists tightened. "Know this, Dovahkiin, when I release the Traitor, his soul is mine to devour." he said. Before Eriah could retort, Alduin's jaws opened. "SIL DEZ KRENOK!" he Shouted. The effect was instantaneous. Eriah screamed as unholy pain lanced throughout her body. She was lifted into the air by the power of the Shout and countless of souls were ripped out of her one by one. If she were still living, it was likely the pain would've killed her. Her head was thrown back as each soul left her. She felt as if she were frozen in place, unable to even writhe in the agony. On some level, this was wrong. She was already dead. She was supposed to be beyond pain.

 _"Do you ever wonder if it hurts, having your soul ripped out like that?"_  
 _"Those who died once can still die again."_

Those two sentences, spoken to her long ago, penetrated the pain and Eriah's screams ceased. Did it hurt? It did hurt. Was this pain what dragons felt when she stole their souls or was it limited to Sahrotaar, Kruziikrel, and Relonikiiv, who had their souls ripped out of them while they were still living? The pain she was in now made her wonder if Miraak had spoken true. Could she die a second time? The Last lifted her head to look at Alduin. His jaws were wide open as he devoured the souls of the dov as they were taken from her. After what seemed like an eternity, only one soul remained...and it fought against the Shout. Alduin let out a long laugh which chilled Eriah to her very bones. Akatosh was sitting passively on his perch as he watched the black dragon bring his red eyes back down to the Dragonborn still hovering in the air. "Foolish mortal, to defy me even now when all that stands between him and me is you." the World-Eater said. Eriah could only brace himself as he repeated that strange Shout, which translated as Soul Destiny Separate, on her. This time, Miraak's soul was extracted. Alduin prepared to devour his soul when he was caught completely off-guard. "FUS ROH DAH!" Eriah Shouted. The Unrelenting Force hit Alduin so hard in the face, he was nearly unseated from his perch. Eriah and Miraak fell to the ground, with the Last falling on top of him.

"Ruth hi! (1) You think you can save him!? You have defied me for the last time!" Alduin roared. He jumped from his perch and charged at the downed Nords, with the intention of snapping them both up. Eriah could only bury her face in Miraak's chest as she waited for her second death to come. The tables turned once more when she heard Alduin give a roar of pain and she slowly looked up to see Akatosh standing over them both, Alduin's neck in his jaws. The World-Eater was writhing, trying to break the god's hold on him. "Stand down, Alduin, or I will destroy you and create a new World-Eater to take your place! The souls of the Dovahkiin are mine to claim!" she heard his voice thunder, even though his avatar's jaws were occupied with his quarry. The black dragon Shouted fire and frost as he tried to break loose. Akatosh responded by throwing him bodily against a pillar to the far right of them. Alduin hit the pillar and it crumbled on top of him. Weakened and still angry, the black dragon gave Eriah a look of pure loathing. His gaze met Akatosh's and he growled. "As the father of the dov commands." he said, standing down.

The Last Dragonborn let out a breath she didn't know she was holding before getting off Miraak, who still didn't awake. She got to her feet and took a few steps back. "I don't get it. Alduin said he resisted extraction." she said, looking at Akatosh. "It was an unconscious act on Miraak's part. He mistook Alduin for Hermaeus Mora and tried to defy the Soul Separation Shout he used. Prepare yourself, Dovahkiin. He awakens now." the golden dragon said before returning to his perch. Eriah felt something come to rest in her hand and she looked down to see her Elvish warhammer. Miraak's sword also appeared under his limp hand. She chuckled a little as she understood. Akatosh had manifested her cherished weapon for the coming battle. However...the Dragonborn had no desire to fight Miraak a second time. Her use of Unrelenting Force to stop Alduin from taking his soul wasn't something she planned. She just did it. The oath she swore long ago...it didn't mean anything in this place. Miraak groaned and his black eyes opened. His fingers subconsciously closing on the hilt of his sword, he started to sit up. Eriah strode over and pushed the head of her warhammer against his shoulder. "I'd stay down if I were you." she said. His black eyes came up to meet hers before he looked around.

He saw Alduin still covered in the rubble of the fallen pillar and he saw Akatosh perched passively nearby. "So you remembered your oath, Dragonborn." he said, his accented voice falling on her ears for the first time in decades. "Sort of. I hate to disappoint you, Miraak, but I have no intention of keeping that oath." Eriah said. The First glared at her and made to get to his feet but added pressure to his shoulder from the warhammer kept him seated. "You would break your word to me?" he asked. "As far as I'm concerned, my word was void the moment you branded me. For the love of Talos, you claimed me, fool. I would've kept my word if you hadn't pulled that stunt in the soul-plane. I know the brand for what it was. It was your attempt to control me like a puppet. Everyone who dared to try to control me were those who had the upper hand on me, be they man or Daedra. Not this time. This time, I have the upper hand on you and I say to Oblivion with that oath." she said. Miraak scowled a little before swinging his sword and knocking the warhammer aside. He was on his feet and a good distance away by the time Eriah recovered. "You're not fooling me with that act of defiance, Dragonborn. That's a smokescreen you're throwing up to cover for your true feelings. You still wish to redeem me and how fitting it is that Akatosh stands at my back to witness this. I told you before that your compassion is your greatest vice and now you choose to yield to it instead of your pride as a Nord. Am I wrong?" Miraak sneered.

Eriah just closed her eyes and chuckled. She threw her warhammer aside and it dissolved into motes of light. "I will not fight you, Miraak. Our battle was concluded long ago in Apocrypha, even though the victory was hollow to me. It goes beyond the fact that Hermaeus Mora stole the final blow from me. No matter what you did in life, what you tried to do from that accursed realm in Oblivion, it doesn't change the fact that you are Dragonborn like myself. You lost our battle already and I refuse to be dragged into another that will last an eternity this time. I don't have the right to decide your fate but because my soul won't allow me to just leave you to it, I'm going to do the right thing." she explained. "Grik pahlok." (2) Alduin snorted from his place in the rubble. "Nahlot." (3) Akatosh chided him. Eriah turned to face the god of Time. "Lord Akatosh, Miraak's fate is to be pulled into Oblivion where he would be the servant of Hermaeus Mora forevermore. It's what he deserves after all he's done. However, I beg you to let him come with me to Sovngarde. Even if he's forever barred from Shor's Hall, it's still a kinder fate than to be at the beck and call of that monster. I don't condone Miraak's actions in life but I refuse to let Hermaeus Mora have his soul all the same. I'd rather take his place in Oblivion than to face an eternity of knowing I could've saved him from our shared enemy." she said. She got to her knees and bowed before the golden dragon.

Miraak and Alduin had twin looks that spoke of how stumped they were over Eriah's request. Akatosh considered the woman before him before letting out a long sigh. "Your heart is clear to me, Dovahkiin. You hate Hermaeus Mora more than anything else in life or death, yet you would willingly take Miraak's place as his servant in spite of that. Not since Martin Septim allowed me the use of his body so I could act against Mehrunes Dagon in the Oblivion Crisis have I seen such selflessness in a mortal. You would forsake a life in Sovngarde to save the soul of a man who stood against everything you held dear?" he asked. "I would. Even though I would never see my husband, my brother-in-law, nor my King again, saving the soul of one who is like me would be worth the sacrifice. Farkas would understand. He told me he loved my compassionate heart the most. He would want me to make this call. Miraak doesn't deserve my help but he's still Dragonborn. I can never fully condemn him for his choices based on that alone. My soul will not allow it." Eriah replied. Akatosh closed his eyes and silence fell. Miraak's eyes were zeroed in on Eriah's back, torn between the desire to run her through for her arrogance or to feel humbled that she was even doing this for him. In this moment, Miraak knew she had defeated him in all finality...without even lifting her weapon against him. He had no desire to be dragged back into Hermaeus Mora's servitude. He'd rather be eaten by Alduin and the World-Eater's presence would make that extremely easy to fulfill.

He stiffened as the god of Time's eyes opened to look at him. "Miraak, Allegiance Guide in the dragon's tongue...you were aptly named. Without meaning to, you guided the Dovahkiin into being your ally. She had chosen to take your place in Oblivion to save you. You should feel honored." Akatosh said. "She has always been a foolish woman but I also know when I'm beat. I will accept any fate you would give me. Whether it's to deny the Dragonborn her wishes or to consign me to death by the jaws of the World-Eater, it is as you say. You have first claim on my soul." he said, sounding defeated for the first time in his life and afterlife. It stunned Eriah enough for her to look back at him. The golden dragon hummed as Alduin finally extracted himself from the rubble. "My decision is thus. Eriah, your willingness to throw your afterlife away for the sake of one who was your enemy is the mark of true compassion. I was wise to have chosen you to be a child of my blood. You and Miraak will be return together to Sovngarde but Miraak himself is barred from entering Shor's Hall. Even I cannot ignore his crimes against Solstheim while serving as a Dragon Priest and as Hermeaus Mora's pawn. Rest assured, Eriah, that his soul will be safe against the Daedric Prince of Knowledge even as he wanders in the afterworld of the Nords and if Hermaeus Mora has an issue with that, I will deal with him. You are both my children and my word is final." he proclaimed.

Eriah felt a mix of relief and other feelings that her plea had been answered in her favor. She got to her feet and turned to face Miraak. "Do not expect me to thank you for this, Dragonborn. Feeling compassion for me will forever be your greatest weakness." he said. "If that's what you think, so be it. I told you once that I hated you. I still do but it's also true that I still hate Hermaeus Mora more." she said, turning on her heel to approach Akatosh. She paused and looked over her shoulder at the First. "And for the record, there was no way I was going to let you throw your afterlife away in the jaws of Alduin either. You will live in Sovngarde, wandering outside Shor's Hall, remembering who it was who took pity on you in the end and begged for your soul to be spared." she said. Miraak cocked an eyebrow, wondering if she had somehow read his mind earlier. He trashed the thought with a rough sigh. He followed her to where she came to a pause. Akatosh's eyes glowed and the brand that Miraak had left on Eriah's neck was pulled gently from her skin. The words, 'hi los dii' floated before the two Dragonborns. "Because I'm allowing Miraak into the Nordic afterlife, I have to use the brand he left on you as the gateway. Otherwise the walls between that realm and this one would reject him." he explained. He Shouted and the words started to stretch and mold together before forming the gateway. Sovngarde was seen on the other side. "Thank you for everything, Lord Akatosh." Eriah said, smiling at the god. "You are most welcome, my child. When Tsun asks why Miraak was sent back with you, you know what to tell him." the golden dragon said.

Eriah looked over at her fellow Dragonborn but like usual, his face was unreadable. "Come on." she said, slightly exasperated. Taking hold of Miraak's sleeve, she pulled him through the gateway and it closed behind them. Akatosh heard shuffling and looked over at Alduin. "Mortals...such arrogance." the World-Eater said, returning to his perch. "You would think so, given that your arrogance outstrips theirs. You lived your life claiming to be my Firstborn, having grown arrogant in the fact that the ancient humans revered you as a god. Indeed, in the Nordic pantheon, you were the god of destruction and the humans ate up your claim as my Firstborn based purely on the fact one of my chosen invocations is a dragon. Your downfall was your own doing. Remember that." Akatosh said before fading from view. Alduin was left alone to stew over everything that had happened. The black dragon with the lordly curved horns looked above him at the stars. "Arrogance or truth, Akatosh? I was considered by mortal and Dovah alike as the greatest of your creations. I ruled Keizaal with an iron claw. I have one advantage over the Last Dovahkiin. My name will be remembered as it always has been while hers is destined to fade like the Champion of Cyrodiil's with only her exploits remembered. At least her fate is much kinder than his for the Champion of Cyrodiil is now the new Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness. In the end, the one who truly won this battle...was me." he thought.


End file.
